Zahidur took oath under govt pressure: Fakhrul

BNP MP Zahidur Rahman was pressured into taking oath by the government, BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said.
But the BNP should not be 'too concerned' by the move, according to the party's secretary general.
He made the remarks after paying tribute to BNP's founder Ziaur Rahman at his grave in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on the party's founding anniversary on Friday.
On whether the government exerted pressure on Zahidur to take his oath, Mirza Fakhrul said, "This is normal. This isn't anything unusual in Bangladeshi politics. There have always been efforts to destroy political parties and some have succeeded."
"But these efforts have not had any effect on the BNP. The party has always got back  on its feet and served the people with respect."  Pressed further, Mirza Fakhrul said, "Certainly (there was pressure from the government). Governments that are not elected by the people's votes have to resort to such undemocratic practices to stay in power."
The BNP won only six seats in the Dec 30 polls. The party's Jatiya Oikya Front alliance bagged a total of eight seats, with two won by Gono Forum candidates.
The alliance pledged to stay away from parliament, citing irregularities and rigging in the 11th national elections.
Gono Forum MPs Sultan Mansur and Mokabbir Khan subsequently took their oaths of office in defiance of the alliance's stance.
Following their footsteps, Zahidur Rahman, elected from Thakurgaon-3 seat, was sworn in as the first BNP MP in the 11th parliament on Thursday.
    -bdnews24.com